Dr. Greenstein is an internationally recognized author, researcher, whole systems thought leader and innovation strategist, and the Founder of the George Greenstein Institute (GGI). She founded GGI as a neuro-consulting/design thinking lab to encourage 21st century methods of creative learning, living and leadership.

She'll be joined by Wesleyan '09 alum Noah Hutton studied art history and neuroscience. His first documentary feature film, Crude Independence, was an official selection of the 2009 SXSW Film Festival and won Best Documentary Feature at the 2009 Oxford Film Festival. His documentary, More to Live For, won the 2011 FirstGlance Film Festival. He currently resides in New York City where he is the Founding Editor of The Beautiful Brain and the Creative Director of Couple 3, a production house for independent media.

Just added to the bill is Dr. Edward Vessel, a cognitive neuroscientist who received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and is currently a Research Scientist at the New York University Center for Brain Imaging. His lab conducts research on the neural basis of aesthetic experience and visual preferences. Learn about the techniques he employs to understand how and why we respond to the beautiful (or unpleasant) things we see.

This triple whammy starts with the epic Omar Souleyman, the Syrian electro-pop king, followed by some Bubu music from wild frontman Janka Nabay at The Well BK, on 272 Meserole Street. On Saturday, explore art scenes in BK--Go Brooklyn, the community-curated open studios at the Brooklyn Museum-- and the last installment of MoMa PS1's Warm Up. Sunday's Bowery Electric Show features Husbandry, Sloth Bear, and Lauren O'Brien--a indie gems from the outerboroughs.

Artists across Brooklyn will open their studio doors, so that you can decide who will be featured in an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. Our very own Senior Associate and amazing artist Allison Wall will be showing her work! This interactive, community-curated event is a first, and gives us all a chance to the see the bevy of talent that makes up the art scenes in Brooklyn.

Our Operations Manager, Andrew, is the drummer for this post-rock, post-hardcore band HUSBANDRY. They'll be performing in the Map Room. Cure your Sunday blues with smoky vocals of lead singer Vanessa Gill.

Since recently subscribing to the Adafruit blog,* I found out about someone named Sylvia. She has a YouTube show that teaches you how to make all sorts of things, from rockets to Arduino projects. And she's ten years old.

Isn't she one of the coolest girls you've ever seen? When I was really into HTML in high school, I only knew one other girl to share my enthusiasm and excitement with… and we were generally on our own when we couldn't quite figure out how to get something to work. Seeing a young person this knowledgeable, this excited, and this eager to share her smarts with the rest of the world made me nearly leap out of my seat, and spend my best money of the week: helping her get to World Maker Faire New York.

Sylvia wants to make it out here, but still needs a little bit of funding for both her and her crew (parents) to make the trip. The Indiegogo page she made gives more detail, and outlines the things you get back when you donate different amounts (you could get custom drawn robot illustrations!). People who are this remarkable this early in life should get all the support that those of us who can relate ("grown ups" who still love learning) – are willing to give. At this point Sylvia has a bit under two weeks and around $1,550 left to go: let's help her get up here! 3rd Ward will have a booth at Maker Faire, and we can't wait to meet her. :)

* Adafruit Industries is a (seriously awesome) resource for learning more about electronics, and buying parts and kits for projects to keep you entertained for an entire three-day weekend (including littleBits, which the 3rd Ward crew has been having a blast with recently! littleBits are a great way to start playing with electronics that's even more straight forward than Arduino, if you can imagine it – learn more about them here).

We had guest blogger Johanna write about her Physical Computing w/ Arduino class. Johanna has been in New York for six years and gets to think about the Internet for a living at Undercurrent, a digital strategy firm. On the flip side: she writes for zines, looks at art, reads about social psychology, and dances alone in her apartment to New Wave.

Next up for Johanna: she wants to learn how to power a light installation with an Arduino and Weather Underground's API. She'll be checking out more of our Circuits classes, and you should too!

Here's Johanna's experience:

Every now and then, I think about how few of my blogger friends from 2006 write consistently anymore. I have always blamed it on the fact that as we've become responsible for a lot more over the years, we have had less time to ruminate and get our thoughts down. I have noticed for a while that the more overwhelmed I am, the less frequently I feel inspired enough to start diving down rabbit holes.

A little over three years ago, I saw Zach Klein and Casey Pugh talk about physical computing and Arduino at a Creative Mornings. It was fascinating, and I thought about it all the time over the years.

Cue to a few months ago. My friend Jim and I led a project at work to make a small GE fridge smarter (you can read Jim's awesome blog post about it here), and hired a phsyical computer to build it. The entire time, my head was spinning as I watched him solder things together, move wires around, and type endless strings of code. I was simultaneously furious and jealous about the fact that I didn't understand what he was doing.

Image Courtesy of Johanna // flavors.me/tokyohanna.

So I signed up for an Arduino class at 3rd Ward. With so little time on my hands, I needed some kind of structure if I was to ever learn.

I have thought about so much stuff over the past few weeks I've been taking the class. I have made little LEDs turn on, seen how tweaks in code could fade them in and out at different speeds, and can now understand the tiniest bit about currents, resistors, actuators, and pulse wave modulation (any Arduino expert is probably laughing at how beginner-level I sound). And now I can't stop thinking of all the things I want to connect an Arduino to.

Now to my point. Two things I realized as a result of taking this class --

1. It's ok to make inspiration come to you.

I can't afford to let my mind wander all day long anymore, waiting for interesting thoughts to come together and form an idea. Putting structure around activities that I know I will find interesting has done wonders for my extracurricular thoughts – I've been thinking about all sorts of things since pointedly seeking something like this out.

2. Tangibility is important for strategists.

For the past six years, I have worked at strategy-only companies – ones in which we only do strategy, and outsource production to partners. I love this for many reasons, but one byproduct of it is that you're removed from the tinkering energy that working at a full-service shop can expose you to. We are "making things" more and more at Undercurrent (mostly in the name of curiosity and experimentation), but I am still a few degrees of separation away from stuff like hardware laying around, photography studios, and prototypes. As a strategist, you spend a lot of time in your head, and being at a strategy-only company only intensifies that.

That's why Arduino has been so great. As I mentioned in my Hackers post, I have a pure love of technology and the Internet, and I'm just plain interested in it. Learning how to use this platform not only has me buried in code again, but I'm also physically touching wires and turning knobs - it brings a delightful balance and feeling of I-made-a-thing-that-does-a-thing to my days.

I'm planning to take more circuitry classes at 3rd Ward to keep the inspiration and tangibility up (likeIntro to Circuits and Electronics). I'll be writing a lot more about 3rd Ward in general and these classes too, so stay tuned for that. I guess this was just a little kick start into what feels like hanging out with an old friend again. :)

It started in Madrid as a commission by El Ranchito, a project by Matadero Madrid, an international commission for New York based artists, Ricardo Miranda Zuñiga and Brooke Singer, to work with Spanish artists, Jose Luis Bongore and Beatriz Marcos. A key to this project was that art is a process, a work in the making. Bongore and Marcos were noticing immense food waste and spikes in families in Madrid going dumpster diving. The question arose: how can we better salvage food, and redistribute it more humanely?

And so, a project was born, EXCESS, to test new ways to salvage and rescue food from restaurants and cafes that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

Their 3rd Ward Urban Food Waste Workshop will involve building a compost station for a garden in Prospect/Crown Heights, their neighborhood.

"So much is going on in BK in terms of urban agriculture. People are thinking about how to compost despite urban density, how to grow one’s own food despite tight living quarters and how to live in environmentally conscientious ways. Our project connects with the energy and organizing that's already happening and becomes a (mobile) platform for change."

To them, it seems ridiculous to spend so much money to get rid of municipal waste. This is money that can go into other necessary social initiatives. Along with the organization 596 Acres.org, they're working to secure a vacant lot owned by the city to become EXCESSNYC headquareters. A vacant lot is a perfect location for a community composting center and eventually the compost can form the foundation of a community garden.

When asked why a bicycle became their symbol and tool for creating dynamic change, the answer is refreshingly practical. Besides the obvious cool factor and cache that comes along with a bike sculpture in Brooklyn.

"We thought a cart would be too much leg work, and too small for what we were looking to do. We looked at a trike, but finally settled on a quadcycle because it could handle our compost tumbler on the back and a “bodega” on the front," says Ricardo. "Again we are tapping into already-existing energy. With all the new bike lanes in the city (and outside our front door) we can more easily move around our neighborhood and be part of that excitement too."

She's a Washington DC native, who migrated to New York in the late 1990s. After graduating from NYU Tisch, she got into the independent film and tv biz, working on everything from primetime to indie cinema. When she started exploring fashion photography, she felt way more connected to the industry, as a maker and artist. After years putting in work behind the scenes, she fused her love of sculpture and industrial design with fashion.

All the piles of sketchbooks, photos, and inspirations swirled together to become her first full collection, Stanmore NYC, a sexy mix of geometric elements and organic shapes and materials, like brasswear or leather.

Shop her online store -- YOU GET 25% OFF with the code IHEART3RDWARD, good until September 15th!

Our very own David Karlins, a web designin'-book writin'-consultin' jack of all trades, is launching his latest book, Building Websites All-in-One for Dummies, at 195 Morgan on August 28th. This bicoastal web buff (Oakland and BK) earned his stripes in Silicon Valley. Says Karlins, "Maybe it was a more lucrative part of my career. But certainly not my favorite part."

We're glad he's here. If you're in the process of building your web site, busy learning new skills for your second career (i'm a musician/actor/web designer), or just want to hear one of 3rd Ward's instructors spin some knowledge--we want you to check this out. Karlin's 10 volumes-in-1 behemoth navigates tried and true practices and new trends in web design. Topics covered include: Site Design, Web Graphics, Interactivity, as well as "new" tools--HTML5, Social Media Integration, and the most recent Adobe Creative Suite.

Awesome stuff.

We got a chance to catch up with David to discuss his new book and the upcoming launch. Here's our interview:

3W: You've been around for a while--tell us about the changes you've seen over the years, in relationship to computer programs, technologies.

DK: Either longevity can mean obsolescence or it can mean perspective, context. For many people my age it means obsolescence in this world. I mean, it took ages for companies to make certain transitions--take the whole Y2K glitch--they were getting old programmers out of the woodwork to figure it out.

3W: Eventually it wasn't so bad.

DK: Exactly.

3W: So you've got these online videos on Youtube. I find tutorials to be 50-50 informative-ridiculous. What do you think about the Adobe tutorials based on your books?

DK: I've got over 200 people making videos that explain what I'm doing. I appreciate people helping each other out. There's a relationship between trying to popularize something for the masses, and being rigorously accurate and scientific. This is the mix I'm going for. Being at 3rd Ward is the best place you can be. The students in the class, the networking happening upstairs (coworking space + woodshop)--it's NY, it's Bushwick, it's really cutting edge.

3W: Aw, thanks.

DK: (Raises an eyebrow)

3W: How's a book about web design going to stay contemporary or relevant?

DK: Speaking of obsolescence--people just don't buy books anymore. I had written about 30 books, and had just about given up, until my daughter, who's in the publishing industry, convinced me to write this book under the Dummies imprint. I handle the timeless thing by letting readers know that this is the state of affairs as we go to press.

3W: Smart. What kind of phone do you have?

DK: Ha. I have both iPhone and Android phones so that I can be abreast of what's happening with both, for my consulting work. This phone thing is a great example of how cultural issues penetrate digital ones. The digital divide is a fasinating story. A place like 3rd Ward, it's almost a given that you might have an iPhone. But the marketing for iPhone users and Android users is drastically different. My work has entailed lots of research, experimentation, interviews and investigation on what's working, and what's not, and the mobile presence for clients continues to be very important.

We love this part of the summer. You know, you get all nostalgic about how summer's end waits just around the corner, and every Fri-Sun means soaking in all the fun you can. Here's our list o' hits to keep your weekend tight.

You'll notice we've given Queens a lot of love this week. All we can say is, heyyyyy, Queens.

Location: Prospect Park Bandshell Rocker TED LEO starts off this set with a solo act, and WILD FLAG, w/ frontwoman Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney and Helium, presents tunes from their gorgeous eponymous record, followed up by Pitchfork touted “post-punk legends” MISSION OF BURMA, with new sounds from their record Unsound.

Now, Forager (2012) Photograph: Courtesy Rural Route Films Location: 36-01 35th Ave, Queens - It's all about agriculture, green-living and being adept in country life. Foraging and dumpster diving are pretty hot, too. In its 8th year, the Rural Route Film Festival, based at the Museum of the Moving Image, features filmmaker Q&As and a whole new look into worlds beyond the city. Quite appropriately, there's a party on the rooftop garden with our friends over at Brooklyn Grange. Rooftop Films hosts the wrap up party on Sunday evenining, 10pm. $15 cover for party.

Location: 22-25 Jackson Avenue/46th Avenue, Long Island City, Queens The 3rd year of this awesome series is held in MoMA PS1's courtyard. The urban landscape installation, by HWKN called Wendy, won MoMA PS1's 13th annual Young Architects Program. It's like a full-on outdoor cooling system. Sips 'n eats provided by M. Wells all summer long.The line up is pretty ill. This Saturday includes Jamie from the xx.

Location: 200 Eastern ParkwayThis dope series pays homage to the Caribbean this month. Featuring electronic artist Val Jeanty and saxophonist Buyu Ambroise perform their avant-garde take on traditional Haitian music, as well as Brooklyn-based dance agency League of Unreal Dancing, which hosts freestyle dance battles and a performance featuring the Afro-Caribbean–inspired dance form “bruk up.”

We compiled a list of the best (we love all, but this is a curated list of things for you, dear readers).

#1 Bev Eggleston + His Roasted Pig @bevegg

Bev Eggleston is a sustainable farmer who started EcoFriendly Foods. He's got a beautiful vision and a respect for our land. Says Bev, "The farmer is an endangered species. Run on the farmer vote, you have the farmer. I'm gonna make sure we have no foreign dependence on our food and fuel. Let's put 400,000 jobs in every region."

We love the sound of that. He's here right now, holding a piece of hickory for the roast:

#instaspam

#2 Monster Haus Named a Popsicle After Us! Introducing Mrs. Ward

Get a load of this popsicle joint. Imagine summer's fave fruit with a smoky twist. Yes.